CANYON COUNTRY : 75 Acres Burn After Crash Sparks Fire
A truck crash ignited a brush fire that burned 75 acres of rugged terrain in Angeles National Forest on Friday, the U.S. Forest Service said.
More than 250 firefighters from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the U.S. Forest Service fought the blaze by land, said Julie Molzahn, a spokeswoman for the Forest Service. Three helicopters also dumped water and one airplane dropped fire retardant on the flames.
The 2 p.m. blaze was ignited by the crash of a pickup truck whose driver failed to make a turn as he drove north on Little Tujunga Road near Dillon Divide, said Carla Van Dyne, a Forest Service spokeswoman. The truck rolled into a ravine and burst into flames that quickly spread. The driver and two passengers escaped unharmed.
Winds up to 10 m.p.h. fanned flames that burned east toward Mendenhall Ridge, said Robert Libershal of the Forest Service.
The fire was 50% contained by 5:30 p.m. and about 50 firefighters were expected to continue battling the blaze throughout the night.
The fire was expected to be completely contained by 8 a.m. today and controlled by Sunday evening, Libershal said.
At one point, the blaze threatened a private ranch in the upper part of Pacoima Canyon near Dillon Divide, Libershal said, but no structures were damaged and no injuries reported.
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